Improvement in towing-hooks for canal-boats



.am aaa We, Asa H. DoTY andJAi/ras Dorir, of West Falls, ain the county ofiErie and State of New York, have in- 4 vented certainnew and useful Improvements in Dead- Eyes for `Gan:t1-Boats,l of which thefollowing is a specification.` 1 l a l l In the towing of` canal-boats it frequently happens thatitheltow-,linesare caught in passingboats,1 01' in locks, or against zsnubbingpostsl `or other obstructions, and` the horsesdrawn4 into the canal and .drowned if the line is`not quickly out or detached ilr some other manner. a 'llo prevent vsuch accidents, and to obviatc the cutting of the line, variousseltldetaohing devices have l been invented.' Amongsuohdevices is onein which ,t a draw-pin attached `tofa ispring lever is employed, l `which-is so constructed thata back; pull onV the line from any cause will instantly disengagethe draw-pin `from its seat, and thus detach' the line.4

` urlinvention makesuse of such adraw-pin and, springleven and it consists.` l y First, in the special arrangement of a springto rebackpull of suicient force` `to endanger the horses, when the spring isfovercome` and the draw-pin and tow-line released. I Y f i Second, in constructing that part of the base-plate in which the recess for the, draw-pin is formed sepa. 4rate from the main base-'plate,so as to be capable of ad'ustmentrelativelythcrewith, for a purpose here` `after to` heexplain'ed." l Ellhird'Vi'n` the arrangement of a prop Vor standardv l with the rear `end ofthe lever, to keep it in agliorizonl fniposition Land `preventtlie disengagement of the draw-pin.whenltheldraftis upward, as` in passing bridges andV along elevated portions of the .tow-path. Fourth,- in the arrangement, with the lever and' l hingedstandar'd, ofasplng, which cri-operates with both to retain them in place. i In the accompanying drawings, which consist of two slizeetsl ,l

4 `Ifgurel is a longitudinalsectiou. E Figure-IIisaplan. `l l i l I ligure III a plan; ofthe draw-pin bearing or baseplate lfor the. right side of a boat.

Figure IV is a diagranishowing the manner of :tpplyingourimproved dead-eyes to aboatl Like-letters ofvreferencedesignatelike parts in zcachof the figures. i i, 1 w A-represents` a cast-iron bed-plate boltedto the boat, andprovided with standards, aV a,which form the fulcrum of the lever B, pivoted by means of a pin,

\ `ai,betweenthem.` r "f 3 "H is `the prop or arm,hing`edto the -base-plat-e so as to engage under the rear end of the leverand prevent it being depressed. l l Y tain the draw-pin inplace exceptwhen subjectedtoa 1 *JAMEsfnorrkANnASAH. 'no rv, or WEsr'rLLs, NEWvoR-K.

' 31 Laan maar No. 103,310, daad May 24,1870,

1 IMPRovEMENT 1N TWINGTHQOKS Foa cANALBoATs.

"t The schedule referredy to in these Letters Patent land naking part of the sama lb is a curved spring secured. to the rear iend of .the base-plate, so as to pass under the end of the prop H, and pass upward against the underI side ot' the lever, as clearly shown in iig. I.

C is 4the draw-pin, loosely hinged vor linked to the front end of the lever, and j l 1 D a lesser` base-plate screwed tothe rail of the boat, and-forming the bearing for the lower end of the drawlpin. This bearing-plate is made of circular form, and is joined to the end of the base-plate,whch is formed with a curved recess to correspond therewith, as shown in g. 1I. l l i It isialso formed with a recess, d, having a shoulder infront, which serves as a bearing for Vthe lower end of the draw-pin which rests therein.

Extending obliquely. backward tothe right or left,

from this recess bearing,.according to the side of the l boat for which the device is designed, is a way, d', for the ypassage and release of the lower end of the draw.-

lpin as it is drawn-backward by the towgline, as before described. l a

e is af Hat spring-arranged at the -rear ofthe recess d, as shown, so as to retain the draw-pin in place cX- cept when` forced back by the draw-pin' in its passage along the way d', in' releasing the tow-line.

.This pin is readily secured to the bearing D bywedging it in a slot cast in the latter, as shown at iz, gs. 1I and III.

To make fast the tow-line, the draw-pin is lifted ont ofpits seat d by pressing down on the rear end of theA lever, which is released by turning down the prop H,

"and is'slipped into theloop at the end of the line, and then replaced in its seat and the prop'again inserted y under the end of the-lever. l l

The seat d forms a strong, substantial, andjeliable bearing for the pin for a forward pull on the line',- while theyielding of thespring e permits the readyl `release of the pin and line, when the latter is pulled back by any accidentalcatching,';as before explained. In passing bridges, and along those portions of the canal where the tow-path .is of "an unusual height above the surface of thewater, the draft or strain ou the draw-bolt isin au inclined-direction upward, which, with the vertical swaying of the line resulting from the starting up of the horses, or unequal draft, is suf-4 icient'to raise the `foot ofthe draw-pin out of its seat', and thereby detach the tow-line, as 'experience `has shown. -l a The employment f the hinged prop H fully obviate's this diculty, by preventing the rear end of the lever being depressed', and consequently theforward l end from being elevated byjtle upward action of the horizontal, but, by pressing against the dat end of theprop, to keep it in its proper vertical position, except when turned down by hand for engaging the tow-line with the fastening.

Constructing the bearing-plate D separate from the main base-plate, enables the device to be adapted for the right 0,1 left side of the boat by simply substituting a right or left bearing plate, as required, that shown in iig. II being a left, and that in fig. III a right.

The device is sometimes required t0 be attached to the curved portion of the rail at the bow, in which case the relative position of the bearing D and baseplate require to be changed, as the latter, owing to its length, has to be attached lengthwise of the rail or curve, or out of a line parallel with thedirection of the draft, as shown in fig. IV, while the bearing pla-te D should maintain the same position as when the device is attached parallel with the line of draft.

By our improved construction this relative adjustment can be readily effected, the circular form of the bearing enabling it to it equally well in the curved recess'of ,the base-plate in this changed position as in the original one.

The arrangement of the spring e and the construction of the bearing D enables the device to be mannfactured at a greatly reduced cost, while it is more perfect and convenient in operation than it otherwise would be with the bearing D east with the main baseplate` What we claim Aas our invention, is-

1. The arrangement of the spring e 'with the bearing D and draw-bolt C, as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The circular bearing plate D, made separate from and arranged with the base-plate A, draw-pin C, and spring-lever B, so as to be capable of adjustment, as herein set forth.

3. The combination and arrangement ofthe hinge( prop H with the lever B and draw-pin C, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.A

4. The arrangement of the spring b with the prop H and lever B, substantially as and for the purpose 4 hereinbefore set forth.

JAMES DO'IY. ASA H. DOTY. \Vituesses:

J AY HYATT, JN0. J. BONNER; 

